Oil filter turning tool with coiled spring gripping member



Nov. 15, 1960 J. A. KILE 2,959,994

GIL FILTER TURNING TOOL WITH COILED SPRING GRIPPING MEMBER Filed Dec. 12, 1958 //V l/f/V 7' 01? JOHN ,4. K/LE M/MWZM United States Patent OIL FILTER TURNING TOOL WITH COILED SPRING GRIPPING MEMBER John A. Kile, St. Cloud, Minn., assignor to Kile Brothers Manufacturing Company, St. Cloud, Minn, a corporation of Minnesota Filed Dec. 12, 1958, Ser. No. 779,887

3 Claims. (21. 81-64) This invention relates to a device for turning circular bodies such as automotive-type oil filters and the like.

An object of our invention is to provide a new and improved device of simple and inexpensive construction and operation for rotating circular devices of large size ordinarily disposed in quite inaccessible locations such as automotive-type oil filters and the like.

Another object of our invention is to provide a novel apparatus which is readily and easily applicable to cylindrical housings such as oil filters and the like for rotating the oil filter when the device is turned in one direction and for slipping around the oil filter when the device is turned in the other direction.

A further object of our invention is to provide a novel and improved device for normally gripping a cylindrical housing in frictional relation so as to facilitate turning of the housing, and which device may be locked out of housing-engaging position so as to permit ready and easy application of the device to and removal of the device from the housing.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section view showing a typical automotive type oil filter installation in a modern type motor vehicle and showing the present invention in section and applied to theoil filter;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the present invention having portions broken away and showing the device detached from but in condition for application to the oil filter; and

Fig. 3 is a section view taken on a vertical plane as indicated at 33 in Fig. 2.

'One form of the present invention is shown in the drawings and is described herein. The present invention is primarily for use with oil filters which are commonly employed in modern vehicles and are frequently mounted in positions Which are quite inaccessible. Such oil filters are generally cylindrical in shape and have an internally threaded mounting ring 11 at the top thereof for receiving a threaded pipe 12 or the like which is fixed in the motor block 13 so as to permit the entire filter 16 to be revolved about its vertical axis into the sealing relationship with the motor block structure 13.

The tool comprising the present invention consists of an annular body member 14 which is somewhat larger in diameter than the outer periphery of the filter housing 10 so as to be adapted to be slipped into encompassing relation with the filter housing. A coiled spring 15 having a plurality of convolutions is positioned within the annular body member 14, and the coiled spring 15 is constructed of spring wire which is substantially square in cross section, but in any event has a flat side or surface 15a facing the center of the coil. It should be noted that spring wire which is round in cross section may also be used and has been used successfully. The coiled spring 15, in the form shown, is wound in a clockwise direction progressively from the upper end of the coil to the lower end thereof, when viewed from the top of the coil, as shown in Fig. 1.

Means are provided for anchoring the lower end of the coiled spring 15 to the body member 14, and in the form shown, a U-shaped kink or crimp 16 is formed in the spring wire adjacent the end 15b thereof, and the crimp 16 projects through a slot 17 in the sidewall of the annular body member 14, and a cotter pin 18 is projected through the bight portion of the crimp 16 at a position externally of the body member 14 so as to hold the bight portion 16 in the slot 17. It will be seen that the slot 17 is somewhat longer than the bight portion 16 so as to permit a slight circumferential movement of the spring with respect to the body member at this anchoring point.

Normally, when the coiled spring is in relaxed position, with the upper end 150 substantially in the dotted position shown in Fig. 2, the inside diameter of the coil is just slightly less than the diameter of the external periphery of the filter housing 10 so that the convolutions of the coiled spring will engage at least peripheral portions of the housing periphery. This is the condition existing at the time the device is used to rotate the filter in the manner hereinafter more fully described.

Means are provided for holding the coiled spring in distended condition while the device is removed from the filter housing 10 was to facilitate ready and easy application of the device to the filter and removal of the device therefrom. In the form shown, cooperative releasable latching means are provided on the upper end 150 of the coiled spring 15 and on the upper edge 14a of the annular body member 14 for holding the spring in distended condition. The upper edge portion 14a of the body member 14 has a rectangular notch 14b formed therein and spaced back along the spring 15 from the position (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2) which is assumed by the upper end of the spring when the spring is in relaxed position. An elongate rigid latching element 20 is aifixed as by Welding or brazing (not shown) to the upper end 15c of the coiled spring and is of such size as to be received in the notch 14b. The rigid element 20 is bent to extend downwardly along the outer side of the body member 14 and the other end 20a of the rigid element 20 is disposed in opposed relation with the lower end edge of the body member 14 so as to prevent endwise movement of the coiled spring out of the housing 14 and so as to provide a finger-operated release element for releasing the spring and allowing the spring to move into frictional engagement with the filter housing. At this point it should be noted, particularly in Fig. 2, that the opposite ends of the coiled spring are disposed at widely separated spaced points around the periphery of the body member 14 and because neither of the end portions of the spring are permitted to move endwise outwardly of the body member 14, the entire spring will be retained within the confines of the body member 14.

The device is also provided with means for permitting application of a wrench or the like for applying torque to remove the filter 10 from the motor block 13. A multisided lug or adapter 21 is positioned below the lower end of the body member 14 and disposed centrally thereof so as to be disposed approximately on the rotation axis of the filter housing 10. A rigid strap member or bar 22 is afiixed to the lug 21 as by welding and is also affixed at its end to the opposite sides of the body member 14.

Because of the direction in which the coiled spring 15 is wound, the present invention is primarily useful in removing the filter structure 10 from the motor block, but it should be understood that the spring might be coiled in the opposite direction so as to effect turning of the filter housing in the other direction, and it should further be understood that a pair of coiled springs could well be disposed in end-to-end relation in the body member 14 for individual operation and wound in different directions so as to be alternately usable in removing and installing the filter on the motor block. With the coiled spring in distended condition, the device is applied over the lower end of the filter housing substantially in the manner shown in Fig. l. The lower end portion 20a of the latch element 20 is then urged upwardly to disengage the latch member from the notch and thereby permit the coiled spring to constrict itself into engagement with the housing 10. A wrench or other torque applying device will then be applied to the lug 21 and the body member 14 will be caused to turn in the direction of arrow A shown in Fig. 2 so as to exert a pulling force on the lower end of the coiled spring and the spring will immediately tightly grip the entire periphery of the housing 10 and will transmit the torque for rotating the housing 10 oif its mounting.

After the filter 10 has been loosened, or after the filter has been completely removed from the motor block 13, the device will be removed from the filter housing by urging the upper end 150 and the latch member 20 from the dotted position shown in Fig. 2 to the full line position shown therein so as to distend the coiled spring and cause the spring to completely release the housing. The device will then be left in this condition, with the coiled spring in distended condition, until the device is to be used again in connection with turning a filter housing.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, detail, arrangement and proportion of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention which consists of the matter described herein and set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A tool for gripping and turning a circular housing such as an automotive oil filter, comprising a rigid housing-encompassing body member of such size as to be spaced outwardly from the housing periphery, means on the body member for revolving the body member, a coiled spring having a plurality of convolutions applicable in encompassing and engaging relation to the housing, means anchoring one end of the spring to the body member, and cooperative releasable latching means on the other end of the spring and on the body member and positioned to hold the spring in distended condition to facilitate ready and easy application to and removal from the housing.

2. A tool for gripping and turning a circular housing such as an automotive oil filter, comprising a rigid housing-encompassing body member of such size as to be spaced from the housing periphery, means on the body member for revolving the body member, a coiled spring having a plurality of convolutions applicable in encompassing and engaging relation to the housing periphery, means anchoring one end of the spring to the body member, an outwardly projecting lug on the other end of the spring and said body member having a notch therein removably receiving said lug and spaced back along the spring from said lug and corresponding end when the spring is in relaxed condition whereby to hold the spring in distended condition to facilitate ready and easy application to and removal from the housing.

3. A tool for gripping and turning a circular housing such as an automotive oil filter, comprising a rigid and annular housing-encompassing body member of such diameter as to be spaced outwardly from the housing pe riphery, said body member having a pair of end edges, means on the body member for revolving the body member, a circular coiled spring within the body member and having an inside diameter in relaxed condition slightly less than the housing diameter to normally engage the housing periphery when applied thereto, means anchoring one end of the spring to the body member, the body member having a notch in one of the end edges thereof, an elongated rigid member having one end secured to the free end of the spring and extending outwardly over one end edge of the body member for insertion into said notch when the spring is in distended condition, and the other end of said rigid member being disposed in spaced and opposed relation to the other end edge of the body member for retaining the spring within the body member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,356,835 Duckett Aug. 29, 1944 2,664,021 Clayson Dec. 29, 1953 2,820,383 Red Jan. 21, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 256,493 Great Britain Aug. 12, 1926 

